The author's fictionalized portrait of American actress/comedienne Lucille Ball centers around an alleged meeting and subsequent affair between Ball and his grandfather, Isadore. Tavia Gilbert's narration offers insights into the rocky relationship between Lucille and her continually unfaithful husband, Desi Arnaz, and with Strauss's married, obsessed grandfather. Strauss narrates sections that are embarrassingly personal and don't always ring true. Izzy and Lucille met at a party where he supposedly cornered her, imposing himself on her, kissing her, and getting punched by her fiery Cuban husband. Gilbert doesn't try to emulate the remarkable redhead but does give her a coarse, hard tone--smart-alecky and rough around the edges. The Izzy/Lucille segments seem harsh, contrived, and biased. This is definitely not for Lucille Ball's fans.
Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2020
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780307989000
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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